Manually operated magnetic sweeper



Aug. 11, 1953 L. RUSSELL MANUALLY OPERATED MAGNETIC SWEEPER Filed Feb.17, 1949 g my W A. ,2 f I a 5M Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

MANUALLY OPERATED MAGNETIC SWEEPER George L. Russell, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 17, 1949, Serial No. 76,913

22 Claims. I

This invention relates generally to magnetic devices and is particularlyadapted among other uses for collectingferro-magnetic material.

object of this invention is to providea new magnetic device forcollecting such material.

A further object is to provide such a device in which the collectedmaterial may be easily removed from the device.

Another object is to provide such a device in which a high ratio oflength to cross-sectional area may be attained.

An'other'object is toprovide a rotatable device which may be rolledalong a surface to be cleaned of ferrromagnetic material.

Another object is to provide such a device in which material may becollected around substantially the entire peripheral surface of therotatable device.

Another object is toprovide a magnetic device in which permanent magnetsare housed within a nonmagnetic shell.

A further object is to provide such a shell with a spacesubstantiallyfree of magnetic him.

A still further object is to provide in combination with suchmagneticmaterial' attracted; by said magnets along theperiphery' of theshell toward a relatively fluxv free portion whereby the attractedmaterial is freed from the field of the magnet.

Other objects will be apparent from. the specification, the: appendedclaims and the drawingszin. which drawings:

Figlne L is an elevational view of a magnetic device embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken. substantially along the lines 2I' 2; ofF'i'g. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken lines3-3 offFig'..2

Fig. 4. is a. view taken. substantially along the lines 4.4' of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing a modifiedform of the invention;

Fig- 6 is a view taken substantially along the 1ines66of Fig. 5-; and:

Fig. 7 isa. view similar to Fig. 6 showin a still further modified formof the invention.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, thenumeralindicates generally a magnetic device adapted to be rolled alonga substantially along the surface for removing ferromagnetic materialtherefrom. The device has a handle 2 connected: by means of a yokemember 4 to opposite ends of a rotatable magnetically energized membergenerally designated 6. The rotatable member 6 comprises a thin tube ofrelatively a shell means for sliding ferrononmagnetic material which,for example; may be brass or nickel, and which is open at. its oppositeends. By nonmagnetic material as used' in this specification and theclaims appended thereto is meant that material which ha a relatively lowsusceptibility as compared with: the more common materials normallyreferred to as magnetic, such as ordinary soi-t steel and ironsiliconalloys. Among material's defined: as nonmagnetic are included, copper,nickel, aluminum, etc.

A rubber, fiber, or other nonmagnetic mate:- rial wheel Ill is providedwith a cylindrical hub portion I 2 which is tightly received within andcloses one end of the tube 8. A second wheel M of similar material. isprovided with a similar hub portion l6 which is tightly receivedwithinand closes the other end of the tube 8 A plurality of magnets [8 arereceived within the tube and are arranged with their magnetic poles inrepelling relation. It has been found that for best results bar magnetsshould not be of too great alength as compared with their crosssectional area. The optimum ratio of such area to length is a variabledepending upon. the material of which the magnets are fabricated. In thecase of Alnicos a ratio in the vicinity of l to 4 has been founddesirable. Accordingly for the length of tube 8 as shown, two magnets isare used but it will be obvious that for other lengths of tube 8 or formagnets made: of other material a diiiferent number of magnets may bedesirable. Insuch event the magnets should be arranged so that theadjacent poles of any two magnets are of like polarity. By this.arrangement it is possible to produce a highly efiicient structurehaving a large length to area ratio.

The wheel l0 has a central. aperture 20 extending therethrough whichreceives an. axle bolt 22: journaled within an aperture 26- in oneportion of the yoke or bracket 4-. The bolt 22 extends longitudinallyand concentrically of the tube 8 through the wheel Ill and its hubportion. [2 and has screw threaded thereon a nut 28 abutting the innersurface of the hub: portion if. The bolt preferably is of bronze whilethe bracket is of brass to provide a dissimilarity of metals to preventseizing which would interfere with rotation of the bolt 22 relative tothe bracket 4. A nonmagnetic material washer 36 is positioned betweenthe wheel Hi and the bracket 4 and the nut threaded upon the bolt withsufiicient tightness to provide the desired amount of friction againstrotation of the wheel Ill. The other wheel M is similarly secured to thebracket 4 as by means of bolt 22a having nut 28a and washer 36a. Thisarrangement for frictionally controlling the wheels I9 and Hi permitsthe device I to be placed adjacent a wall with the handle 2 extending atan acute angle with respect to such wall without the downward componentof force exerted by the handle 2 causing the device I to roll outwardlyaway from the wall where it might move into an obstructing positionsubject to being injured or to cause injury to something else.

One pole of the left one of the magnets I8 abuts against the bronze bolt22, the like pole of the right one of the magnets I8 abuts against anonmagnetic spacer 32 which in turn abuts against the adjacent end ofthe bolt 22a. The like poles of the magnet I8 are spaced by a disk 34which is preferably of sponge rubber or other similar material to permitsome tolerance of dimension between the inner ends of the bolts 22 and22a and yet to cause the magnets l8 and spacer 32 to be tightly carriedwithin the tube 8. It has been found that if the thickness of the spacerlid is too little so that the magnets it are too close that this smallspacing tends to demagnetize the magnets and if too great causes a deadspot between the magnets. It is preferred for best results that withmagnets of the same degree of magnetic strength that this distance besubstantially seven-eighths of the diameter of the magnet. For example,with Alnico magnets of one inch diameter the spacing should beseven-eighths of an inch for best results since this spacing is shortenough to prevent any substantial dead spots and far enough not tointerfere substantially with the strength of the magnets.

The surface of the wheel in adjacent the tube 8' may be and preferablydoes extend in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis ofthe tube 8. The surface 38 of the wheel I4 adjaoent the tube iipreferably is in the form of a cone frustum for easy removal of thematerial picked up by the roller 6 as will be explained more in detailhereinafter.

A slidable annular member 40 is provided for the tube 8 and is normallycarried in abutting relation with the inner edge surface of th wheel Illand is slidable across the tube 8 for removing material picked up by theroller 6. The disk M! for strength is of substantial thickness but isprovided adjacent its inner opening with a relatively narrow lip d2which tightly and frictionally engages the outer surface of the tube 8to wipe this outer surface upon movement of the annular disk 49 butwhich will not exert sulficient opposition to movement of this disk 40along the member 8 to prevent its movement by the user.

The handle 2 may be a solid rod, as shown, or a tubular member Thehandle 2 is provided with a threaded aperture adjacent its end portionwhich abuts the yoke l and may be secured thereto as by means of a capscrew 54 which extends through an aperture 56 of the yoke 4 and screwthreadedly received within the aperture 52. Preferably a spacer member58, which may be of the sam diameter as the handle 2, is providedintermediate the head of the cap screw 54 and the yoke ii to provide anextension of the handle 2 to form grippin means whereby the user mayconveniently hold the yoke in his hand during removal of the materialfrom the roller 6 as for example with two fingers astraddle the spacermember 58.

In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a modified form of tube 8a in which theouter peripheral surface is corrugated to provide longitudinallyextending grooves or valleys 60 and raised portions or mountains 62 sothat when materials have been picked up by one of the magnets I8 and thetube 8a rotated, the tendency of certain types of material to slide inrelation to the outer peripheral surface of th tube will be preventedand the tube 8a will pick up and hold this type of material about theentire 360 of its surface.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a still further modified form of outer contourof the surface 8b corresponding to the tube 8 which as shown isrectangular in cross section and which will prevent sliding of suchcertain types of material about the peripheral surface. In this formthe-re is shown a magnet of square cross section.

In operation, the magnetic device I is rolled along the floor and as theferromagnetic mate-- rial lying on the floor is included within the fluxfield of the magnets, this material is attracted thereby and afiixesitself to the outer peripheral surface of the roller ii. When a desiredload of material has attached itself to the roller 6, the operatorgrasps the yoke l adjacent the handle 2 and spacer 58 with his handthereabout with fingers astride the handle 2, spacer 58 and yoke 4 andslides the annular member if! across the tube 8 whereby the lip 42pushes the material longitudinally of the tube 8 over to the dead orrelatively fiux free portion ofthe tube 8 which will be outwardly of theright-hand magnet I8. As the material is moved so that it is no longerstrongly attracted by the force of the magnet, it will fall free of thedevice I into a suitable receptacle. Under some circumstances, as forexample, with elongated steel pieces having one dimension greater thanthe longitudinal dimension of the dead space of the member 8, materialpushed ahead of the magnet may slide along the outer surface of the tube8 and against the adjacent surface of the wheel I4. Such material willengage the inclined surface of the wheel [4 and slide the-reover and nottend to wedge itself under the lip 42 but will be forced outwardly ofthe tube along the conical surface.

The operation of the modified forms shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 will beapparent from the foregoing description.

It will be obvious that for certain operations such as the removal offerromagnetic materials from a running stream of fluid that the yoke 4and handle 2 may be dispensed with and the magnetic member 6 held in asuitable manner in the fluid stream whereby it will attract suchmaterial therefrom as the material is carried along by the fluid streamin much the same manner as it is propelled along a surface. Thismaterial may be removed fromthe roller 6 by movement of the annular disk46 substantially as described.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is as follows:

In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated, thin walled,hollow tubular member of nonmagnetic material, a plurality of solidpermanent-type magnets arranged in end-toend relation within said memberand magnetized to provide longitudinally spaced poles, the adjacentpoles of adjacent magnets being of like polarity, and nonmagnetic meanspositioned intermediate said adjacent magnets for spacing said magnetswithin said member, said magnets fitting closely within said member,whereby substantially all of the lines of magnetic force extendingbetween the ends of each magnet are exterior to said member, saidnonmagnetic means spacing said magnets apart a distance such that thespace surrounding the exterior of said tubular member and extendinglongitudinally thereof from end-to-end of the plurality of magnets issubstantially devoid of. dead spots.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said hollow member extendsoutwardly in one direction from said magnets to provide a peripheralsurface portion thereof which is substantially uninfiuenced by themagnetic lines of flux of said magnets.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said member is provided withmeans surrounding said member and longitudinally slidable along theouter surface thereof to move material attracted thereto by said magnetto said surface portion.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated hollowmember of nonmagnetic material, a plurality of permanent-type magnetsarranged in end-to-end relation within said member, nonmagnetic meansfor positioning said magnets within said member, said hollow memberextending outwardly in one direction from said magnets to provide aperipheral surface portion which is substantially noninfiuenced by themagnetic lines of flux of said magnets, and means surrounding saidmember and longitudinally slidable along the outer surface thereof tomove material attracted thereto by said magnet to said surface portion,said surrounding means comprising an annular member having at its innerperiphery a resilient portion resiliently engaging the outer surface ofsaid member.

5. In an apparatus for removing magnetic material from the floor or thelike surfaces, a tubular member of non-magnetic material and having arelatively thin wall, at least a pair of permanent magnets within saidtubular member, each said magnet having its poles spaced axially of eachother along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, roller meanssupporting said tubular member for rotation about said longitudinal axisand in spaced relation to the surface which is to be cleaned, andnonmagnetic spacer means between said magnets and within said tube forspacing said magnets from each other and for holding said magnets infixed position with respect to said tube.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said roller means are providedwith axles journaled within a manually grasped member for movement ofsaid wheels along said surface and in which means is provided to opposerotation of said wheels with a predetermined magnitude of opposition.

7. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubularmember of nonmagnetic material, at least a pair of bar magnets arrangedin end-to-end relation within said member, adjacent poles of adjacentmagnets being of like polarity, resilient nonmagnetic materialseparating said magnets, a pair of wheels closing and supportingopposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portions of a largerdiameter than the largest cross sectional dimension of said tubularmember, the total length of said magnets plus said separating materialbeing less than the length of said tubular member, nonmagnetic meanswithin said tubular member and positioning said magnets to provide asubstantially nonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a U-shapedyoke having a connecting element and substantially paralleloutwardlyextending arms, said tubular" member and said wheels being receivedbetween the outward end portions of said arms, means for rotatablysupporting said wheelson said arms; and a ringlike memberreceivingsaidtubular member and slidable axially thereof towipe magneticmaterial attracted to the surface of said tubular member along saidsurface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space whereby saidmaterialwill d'ropaway from said tubular member.

8*. Ina magnetic device, an elongated member of nonmagnetic materialhaving a chamber, permanent magnet means in said chamber and providingmagnetic poles spaced longitudinally of saidmember, whereby the fluxlines between said poles are longitudinally disposed, said magnet meansbeing positioned within said member such that a complete peripheralportion extending completelyaround the periphery of said member is outof the path of any substantial flux estab lished bysaid magnet means.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which said fiux' free portion isadjacent one end portion of said elongated member.

10 In an apparatus of the character described, an elongated thin-walledhollow member of nonmagnetic material, a solid permanent magnet of thebar type of similar andsubstantially equal cross-sectional area to thehollow section area of said member and magnetized to providelongitudinall'y spaced poles, and means positioning said magnet withinsaid member to provide a portion of said member which is substantiallyfree of flux.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which there is provided a wipingmember longitudinallymovable along said' hollow member for slidingmagnetic material attracted by said magnet to said flu-i: free portionfor discharge from such apparatus.

12. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubularmember of nonmagnetic material, permanent magnet means Within saidmember and establishing a flux field externally of and completely aroundsaid member throughout a desired longitudinal portion thereof, a pair ofwheels having hub portions positioned within and closing opposite endsof said tubular member and having rim portions of a larger diameter thanthe largest cross-sectional dimension of saidtubular member, the totallength of said magnet means being less than the dimension betweenadjacent hub portions, nonmagnetic spacer means within said tubularmemher and positioning said magnet means to provide a substantiallynonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a wiping member receivingsaid tubular member and slidable axially therealong to wipe magneticmaterial attracted to the surface of said tubular member along saidsurface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space-wherebysai'd materialwill drop away from said tubular member.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which said nonmagnetic space isadjacent one of said wheels and said one wheel is provided with afrustoconical surface leading outwardly from said tubular member wherebysuch mag-netic material which is elongated will be deflected outwardlyas it is being wiped by said ringlike member into said nonmagneticspace.

14. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubularmember of nonmagnetic material, at least a pair of bar magnets arrangedin end-to-end relation within said member, adjacent poles of adjacentmagnets being of like polarity, nonmagnetic material separating saidmagnets, a pair of wheels having hub portions positioned within andclosing opposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portions ofa larger diameter than the largest crosssectional dimension of saidtubular member, the total length of said magnets plus said separatingmaterial being less than the dimension between adjacent hub portions,nonmagnetic spacer means within said tubular member and positioning saidmagnets to provide a substantially nonmagnetic space within said tubularmember, a wiping member receiving said tubular member and slidableaxially therealong to wipe magnetic material attracted to the surface ofsaid tubular member along said surface into alignment with saidnonmagnetic space whereby said material will drop away from said tubularmember.

15. An article of manufacture comprising, an open-ended hollow tubularmember of nonmag netic material, at least one bar magnet magnetized toprovide longitudinally spaced poles and arranged with its axislongitudinal of the axis of said tubular member, a pair of wheelssecured to opposite ends of said tubular member and having rim portionsof a larger diameter than the largest cross-sectional dimension of saidtubular member, the total length of said magnets being less than thelength of said tubular member, nonmagnetic spacer means within saidtubular member and positioning said magnets to provide a substantiallynonmagnetic space within said tubular member, a wiping member receivingsaid tubular member and slidable axially therealong to wipe magneticmaterial attracted to the surface of said tubular member along saidsurface into alignment with said nonmagnetic space whereby said materialwill drop away from said tubular member.

16. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus for picking up magneticmaterial, at least one elongated bar magnet having end walls and aperipheral wall extending between said end walls, said magnet beinglongitudinally magnetized to provide poles at said end walls, and meanshousing and supporting said magnet and surrounding said peripheral wall,the portion of said means surrounding said peripheral wall being ofnonmagnetic material, the relative dimensions of said housing means andmagnet being such that the flux lines of said magnet will extendoutwardly of said nonmagnetic material and extend longitudinally andexternally of said nonmagnetic material between the poles of said magnetfor the entire distance between said poles.

17. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus for collecting magneticmaterial, at least one elongated solid bar magnet magnetizedlongitudinally, an elongated hollow nonmagnetic member having alongitudinally extending chamber of substantially the samecross-sectional area as that of said magnet and in which said magnet islongitudinally positioned whereby the flux lines of said magnet extendoutwardly of said nonmagnetic member and extend longitudinally andexternally of said nonmagnetic member between the poles of said magnet,said apparatus being further characterized by the absence of magneticpole pieces for said magnet.

18. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus for picking up magneticmaterial, at least one elongated bar magnet having end walls and aperipheral wall extending between said end walls, said magnet beinglongitudinally magnetized to provide poles at said end walls, meanshousing and supporting said magnet and surrounding said peripheral wall,the portion of said means surrounding said peripheral wall being ofnonmagnetic material, the relative dimensions of said housing means andmagnet being such that the flux lines of said magnet will extendoutwardly of said nonmagnetic material and extend longitudinally andexternally of said nonmagnetic material between the poles of said magnetfor the entire distance between said poles, and means for supportingsaid housing means for rolling movement along and in spaced relation toa surface.

19. In a permanent magnet energized apparatus. permanent magnet means, amember housing said magnet means, said member having a completeperipheral portion spaced from said magnet and substantially free offlux from said magnet means so that material attracted to said housingmember may be moved thereto for release irom said housing member.

20. In apparatus of the character described, a straight elongated hollowmember of nonmagnetic material, a plurality of solid, straightpermanent-type magnets arranged in end-to-end relation within saidmember, each of said ma nets being magnetized to provide longitudinallyspaced opposite poles at the ends thereof, nonmagnetic means positionedintermediate the ends of adjacent magnets for spacing said magnetswithin said member, said magnets being arranged with like poles adjacentto each other.

21. Structure as defined in claim 20, in which said magnets fit closelywithin said hollow member so that substantially all of the magneticlines of force extending between the opposite ends of each magnet areexterior of said hollow member.

22. Structure as defined in claim 21, which comprises non-magnetic meanswithin one end of said hollow member spacing the adjacent one of saidmagnets from the end or said hollow member a distance suiiicient torender the peripheral end portion of said hollow member substantiallyfree of magnetic lines of force.

GEORGE? L. RUSSELL.

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